Wolfenstein Multiplayer Detailed

31 Jul 2009 by Paul Younger

Details on Wolfenstein's multiplayer modes have been revealed via a Gamespot interview.The interview with Endrant Studios, the company developing the multiplayer segment of the game, reveals that the veil - the mysterious other-world that plays a large role in the single-player - will also play its part in multiplayer."We wanted to retain the overall feel and impact it has in single-player in the multiplayer side of things," said Endrant's lead game designer Matt Wilson. "Players can enter the veil dimension and use veil powers much like the ones BJ [Blazkowicz, the single-player character] has access to, as well as all the standard weapons and items.""In multiplayer, you're not BJ - you're a member of either the Resistance or the Axis, and you play as one of three roles: soldier, medic or engineer. [...] We gave them their own unique veil powers that are specific to their responsibilities within the team. The medic's veil power helps him heal other players, for example."However, there will be no time-slowing power like BJ has, as "it's a relative effect; each player would experience it differently."Not every weapon from the single-player campaign will make an appearance in the multiplayer, with the "more exotic veil weapons" being removed "to keep it balanced and skill-based." Wilson adds, "If we did them justice in multiplayer, the game would have ended up centered around them at the expense of the other guns."Four game modes will be present, too - Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Objective, and Stopwatch. Objective has the attacking team try to complete objectives while the defending team attempts to stop them, while Stopwatch plays similarly but with the teams swapping over halfway through and competing for the fastest time.These game modes will play over eight maps which portray new areas but are based on the same assets, so they'll feel like "extensions of the world defined by the single-player campaign. You could imagine turning a corner in a street in Isenstadt and finding yourself in the bank courtyard in one of the multiplayer maps, for example," according to Wilson. Two maps mentioned are Facility and Rooftops, the former seeing the Resistance breaking into a facility workshop and disabling a prototype veil tank, while in the latter, the Resistance are attempting to get to a transmitter tower in a race against time, to radio a warning that the Axis have found a list of Resistance safehouses and are on their way there.The final piece of interest is in the unlockables. The unlockables won't take the form of new weapons, but will act more as upgrades, with only one in each category - with the category examples given as "weapon, item, veil power, etc." - active at a time. You'll be able to choose what you want to unlock at any given time, but only having one particular unlock active at a time forces you to choose."Some of the choices you'll have to make are things like power versus accuracy, reload time versus recoil/muzzle kick. If you're a medic, do you want your veil power to heal people faster, or would you prefer it to also heal you a little bit as you're healing other people? Those are the kind of decisions the unlocks introduce to the players," finished Wilson.Sounds interesting to us. More news on Wolfenstein when it comes in, which shouldn't be too long as the game is due during the week starting 17 August.

Details on Wolfenstein’s multiplayer modes have been revealed via a Gamespot interview.The interview with Endrant Studios, the company developing the multiplayer segment of the game, reveals that the veil – the mysterious other-world that plays a large role in the single-player – will also play its part in multiplayer.”We wanted to retain the overall feel and impact it has in single-player in the multiplayer side of things,” said Endrant’s lead game designer Matt Wilson. “Players can enter the veil dimension and use veil powers much like the ones BJ [Blazkowicz, the single-player character] has access to, as well as all the standard weapons and items.””In multiplayer, you’re not BJ – you’re a member of either the Resistance or the Axis, and you play as one of three roles: soldier, medic or engineer. […] We gave them their own unique veil powers that are specific to their responsibilities within the team. The medic’s veil power helps him heal other players, for example.”However, there will be no time-slowing power like BJ has, as “it’s a relative effect; each player would experience it differently.”Not every weapon from the single-player campaign will make an appearance in the multiplayer, with the “more exotic veil weapons” being removed “to keep it balanced and skill-based.” Wilson adds, “If we did them justice in multiplayer, the game would have ended up centered around them at the expense of the other guns.”Four game modes will be present, too – Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Objective, and Stopwatch. Objective has the attacking team try to complete objectives while the defending team attempts to stop them, while Stopwatch plays similarly but with the teams swapping over halfway through and competing for the fastest time.These game modes will play over eight maps which portray new areas but are based on the same assets, so they’ll feel like “extensions of the world defined by the single-player campaign. You could imagine turning a corner in a street in Isenstadt and finding yourself in the bank courtyard in one of the multiplayer maps, for example,” according to Wilson. Two maps mentioned are Facility and Rooftops, the former seeing the Resistance breaking into a facility workshop and disabling a prototype veil tank, while in the latter, the Resistance are attempting to get to a transmitter tower in a race against time, to radio a warning that the Axis have found a list of Resistance safehouses and are on their way there.The final piece of interest is in the unlockables. The unlockables won’t take the form of new weapons, but will act more as upgrades, with only one in each category – with the category examples given as “weapon, item, veil power, etc.” – active at a time. You’ll be able to choose what you want to unlock at any given time, but only having one particular unlock active at a time forces you to choose.”Some of the choices you’ll have to make are things like power versus accuracy, reload time versus recoil/muzzle kick. If you’re a medic, do you want your veil power to heal people faster, or would you prefer it to also heal you a little bit as you’re healing other people? Those are the kind of decisions the unlocks introduce to the players,” finished Wilson.Sounds interesting to us. More news on Wolfenstein when it comes in, which shouldn’t be too long as the game is due during the week starting 17 August.

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